April 18, 2007

Reusable Shopping Bag Guide

I'm not a plastic bag. You, if you're reading this blog, are probably not a plastic bag either. I'm referring, of course, to Anya Hindmarch's much hyped canvas bag, left, which will descend upon America this June. The bag costs $15 (plus $15 shipping), a bargain for a Hindmarch; that said, if all you want is a reusable shopping bag, there are plenty of cheaper, eco-friendlier, and less self-righteous options. Five to think about:

1. Freebies

My choice. Chances are you already have suitable bags, garnered from business conferences, magazine offers, and relatives. You can also reuse paper or plastic bags from previous trips.

2. Grocery stores

Grocery stores benefit when you don't use plastic bags, so they'll sell bags cheap, or give them away. We've had luck at Publix and Whole Foods (Publix gave us one, Whole Foods sells them for $2+), and heard Trader Joe's sells them for a dollar. Whole Foods also gives you a 5 cent refund for bringing your own bags.

3. Baskets or bins

Keep everything in the buggy until you reach the car, then transfer groceries to a special bin or set of
bins in the truck.

4. DIY bags

A perfect mix of form and function. Just be sure the bag is sturdy enough for cans, etc.

Bags made from recycled plastic bags: My favorite example of these (right) comes from the Dec/Jan 2007 issue of BUST. BUST still hasn't put any content online (why?), so I'd purchase the issue either from BUST's website or eBay.

If none of the above work for you, you can always buy bags from
online retailers. However, I would spend no more than $45, preferably
$9.00 or less per bag. They're going to get beaten up and dripped on anyway.